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By Way of 
Introduction 



HIS book represents the compiling of a series of news- 
paper advertisements describing the historic background 
of Toledo. School teachers and pupils and others interested 
in local history, have followed this series with such interest, 
that at their request, the brief history is put in this more 
permanent form. For some of the facts herein contained, we 
wish to express our appreciation to Nevin O. Winter's His- 
tory of Northwestern Ohio. Our Public Library is rich in 
volumes like this for those who desire a more extended 
knowledge of their city's history. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 



Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




Copyright 1921— The Toledo Savings Bank & Trust Co. 



A Short History of Toledo 




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|^VIQW*0F*0I/D*T0I^eD0,3PAirU 



Historic 
Toledo 



No. 1 

Know Your 
City's History 



"VTO section of the country is richer 
■^ in historic happenings and asso- 
ciations than Northwestern Ohio. 

What could be more appropriate 
than that her wondrous story should 
be briefly told by Toledo's original 
and oldest savings bank. 

Just a word, by way of intro- 
duction, about Toledo, Spain, after 
which our city is named. Toledo 
is one of the oldest cities of Europe, 
and was long noted for the fine 
swords made there. 

In the Toledo Blade counting 
room, today, can be seen on display, 
a fine pair of swords, the ancient 
Toledo Blades, presented to D. R. 
Locke, famous former editor of this 
paper. He was better known to the 
world as Petroleum V. Nasby, writer 
of the Nasby Letters, and was one of 
the original directors of this bank. 

In 1908, during the celebration of 
the Wamba festival, many of the 
traditions of Old Toledo, Spain, 
were revived in gorgeous pageantry, 
in the new and rapidly growing, 
Toledo, Ohio, U. S. A. 



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The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. /£ 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 




Historic 
Toledo 



No. 2 

Indian 

Days 



TPHIS chapter of our brief Toledo 
■■• history will take us up to the 
building of Fort Industry, the first 
habitation of white men in what is 
now Toledo. 

During the latter part of the 18th 
century there were about 7000 Indians 
in Northwestern Ohio. What is now 
Detroit Avenue was part of an old 
Indian road, leading from Detroit to 
Pittsburg. 

In this section some of the hottest 
fighting between the red men and the 
white took place, Near Toledo are the 
historic battlegrounds of Fallen Tim- 
bers and Turkey Foot Rock, reminders 
of the defeat of the Indians by Amer- 
ican forces under General Wayne, in 
1794. These battlegrounds may be 
seen by anyone visiting the towns of 
Maumee or Perrysburg. 

It was the Indian warfare described 
above that led to the building of Fort 
Industry, on the site of which this 
bank began business 74 years later. 

Indian Days are commemorated in 
the names of some of our Toledo 
streets, such as Tecumseh, named 
after the great Indian chieftain of 
this section. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 




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TOLEDO IN 179** -.flour the Easterly Corner of Summit and tfrnro* 5ft 



Historic 
Toledo 



No. 3 

Fort 

Industry 



HPHIS old blockhouse is of particular 
■*■ interest to us in this series of To- 
ledo history talks, for two reasons. 

First, because it was the original 
habitation for white men on the loca- 
tion of what is now Toledo, and 
second, it was situated on the same 
spot where, in 1868, this bank began 
business. 

Fort Industry, according to John 
Gunckel's Early History of the Mau- 
mee Valley, was built by General 
Wayne, in August, 1794, as a stockade 
against the Indians. It was used 
afterwards as a trading post, until 
1805, and really did not become a fort 
until 1813, when it was used by Gen- 
eral Harrison for the deposit of surplus 
ammunition, clothing, etc., while en- 
route to Canada. 

The location of the fort is marked 
today by the Fort Industry Block, on 
the northeast corner of Summit and 
Monroe streets. A well-worn wood 
tablet on the Monroe street side of 
the building, tells Fort Industry's 
history. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 



Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 



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from a /*?ap /*7ae/e /n /834. $^oa//rig 7d/ec/o /'/? /V/c/i/gan 
Courtesy of 6bb*ft S Oottin ' 



Historic 
Toledo 



No. 4 
The City 
Founded 



HPOLEDO is the combination of two 
■*• early settlements, Port Lawrence 
and Vistula. There were other settle- 
ments such as Marengo and Gilead, 
but these soon gave up the struggle 
and were absorbed. 

Port Lawrence commenced at a 
point on the river, near what is now 
Lynn St. and ran directly west, 
crossing Madison near Ontario. It 
was located in 1817. 

In 1832, a dissatisfied faction with- 
drew and located a new plat a little 
further down the river, called Vistula. 

At a public meeting held in 1835, 
the two rival settlements merged, 
under the name of Toledo, suggested, 
it is said, by W. J. Daniels, who had 
been reading Spanish history. 

The map above shows Toledo (or 
rather Port Lawrence) in 1834, located 
in Michigan. In 1836, this territory 
was definitely awarded to Ohio, end- 
ing a bitter controversy known as the 
Toledo War. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 







Historic 
Toledo 



No. 5 

Early 

Transportation 



'T'OLEDO, one of the greatest rail- 
A way centers, has always been a 
pioneer in transportation. 

In 1843 the Miami & Erie Canal was 
opened for navigation. By 1848, 4000 
canal boats cleared from Toledo, then 
a village of two thousand people. 

About the time the rival cities 
joined to form Toledo, in 1836, the 
first railroad west of the Alleghenies 
was built here, the Erie and Kalama- 
zoo, which ran from Toledo to Adrian 
"at a speed," says the Toledo Blade of 
that day, "of 20 miles an hour." 

In 1869, one year after this bank's 
founding, this line became part of 
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. 
The Wabash line was opened in 1855. 

The forerunner of the G. H. & D. was 
started in 1859, to Dayton; the B. & O. 
reached here in 1873, and a line to 
Columbus was completed in 1876. 

From those early days down to to- 
day, this bank has been a favorite with 
railroad men. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 




Historic 
Toledo 



1 Tr/ntty ffi/scapa/ Cnvrcn, £. O/d f\>$t 0//f/cv S/te, 3 Boody /fovse, f Otd 'firrit C/ivrcK 
So/d JtAtu/s /*■£: Chwch. ^/«m on oU ' patttt/sif by *VM. rfachm.) 

(Used by permission of E. A. Machen, owner of copyright) 



npOLEDO was incorporated as a city 
■*■ in 1837. It was really only a small 
village with an uncertain population, 
not exceeding 1200. 

The first mayor was John Berdan, 
whose descendants are still prominent 
in the commercial and social life of the 
city. In 1845 there was elected to the 
mayor's office a prominent Quaker and 
Abolitionist, Richard Mott, who was to 
be 23 years later, the first president of 
this bank. 

The industrial history of Toledo 
began during the 40's. The Milburn 
Wagon Works, to this day one of the 
city's chief industries, was established 
in 1847. The predecessors of the whole- 
sale house of Berdan & Company began 
business in 1836. 

By 1853 Toledo had a population of 
about 8500, and was already an im- 
portant grain center. Geographically, 
Toledo was divided into Upper Town, 
with fine residences on Monroe street, 
and Lower Town, with the best homes 
on Lagrange street. The first street 
railway company, operating horse cars, 
was organized in 1860. 



No. 6 

Pioneer 

Days 



L 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 




Historic 
Toledo 



No, 7 

Toledo 

in the 

Civil War 



rOR 20 years prior to the Civil War 
" anti-slavery sentiment was strong 
throughout Toledo and Northwestern 
Ohio. A number of prominent Toledo 
citizens aided in the escape of negro 
slaves on their way to Canada. 

On April 15, 1861, three days after 
the assault on Fort Sumter, a call was 
issued at Toledo for patriots to gather 
at the Union Depot. Speeches were 
delivered by J. B. Steedman and H. S. 
Cummager, and by Morrison R. Waite. 
Enlistment here progressed rapidly. 

By 1862, 2143 men from Lucas County 
had joined the Union ranks. 

Among the Toledo and Northwestern 
Ohio men who particularly dis- 
tinguished themselves during the Civil 
War were: James B. Mc Pherson, 
James B. Steedman, John W. Fuller, 
Charles W. Hill, R. P. Buckland and 
Isaac R. Sherwood. 

It was only three years after the 
close of the Civil War that this bank 
began business during a period which 
very much resembled that following 
the close of the great World War. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 




ni iff I I.I 

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Historic 
Toledo 



No. 8 

Post-Bellum 
Days 



76/ado's F>//>c//>aV Bcs/rrass S/oc/t 
Jn 7><r £a.r/y '/O ' 



THE years following the Civil War, 
were busy ones for our city. In 
1867, Toledo was made a city of the 
first class. It then had a population of 
nearly 30,000. By 1875, it had 50,000. 

It was during this period, that many 
of the men who have brought glory to 
the city's name, did their best work. 
D. R. Locke was publishing and edit- 
ing the Toledo Blade, and giving it a 
much more than local reputation. 
Morrison R. Waite, in 1874, was ap- 
pointed to the seat of Chief Justice of 
The Supreme Court of The United 
States. 

In a business way, too, the city was 
flourishing. As a grain center, it was 
second only to Chicago. The panic of 
1873 affected Toledo much less than 
it did many other cities. During this 
period, many of Toledo's now leading 
manufacturing, wholesale and retail 
establishments were founded. 

In 1868, a group of prominent citi- 
zens, headed by Richard Mott, organ- 
ized The Toledo Savings Institution. 
The name was changed, in 1874, to 
that which this bank bears, to this 
very day. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 




Historic 
Toledo 



No. 9 

The 80's 

and the 

90's 



DURING the 80's began Toledo's 
cultural growth. 
In 1884 took place the real founding 1 
of Toledo University, when the trustees 
of The Toledo University of Arts and 
Trades, tendered to the city, the entire 
university property, which was willed 
to the institution by Jessup W. Scott 
in 1872. The Toledo City Council ac- 
cepted. 

The present main Public Library 
building was opened in 1890. Our 
beautiful Court House was erected in 
1894, the building shown above servine: 
till that time. 

During the Spanish-American war 
Lucas County showed herself credit- 
ably again, furnishing companies for 
the 2nd and 6th regiments, Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, Colonel (now General) 
Mc Maken of this city, commanding the 
latter. 

The bicycle Industry and the general 
good times which began with the 
Mc Kinley administration gave a great 
Impetus to Toledo's growth. From 
1890 to 1900 the population increased 
over 60%. 

In 1893 this bank passed the quarter 
century mark. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 




Historic 
Toledo 



No. 10 
The Past 
20 Years 



AN interesting phase of Toledo's 
political history was the rise of 
the independent movement, with the 
election of Samuel M. Jones, as Mayor, 
on the Independent Ticket, in 1899. 

In a business way, the city made 
splendid strides the most notable event 
being the coming to Toledo of the 
Overland Plant, today our leading 
industry. Other important business 
events were the erection of the sky- 
scraper Nicholas, Ohio and Second Na- 
tional buildings. 

Of equal importance to the city's life, 
are the world-famous Art Museum, 
our two fine High Schools, and the new 
concrete Cherry Street Bridge, all 
erected during this period. 

In 1914 the new City Charter was 
adopted. The traction question, took a 
step toward solution, with the forma- 
tion of the Community Traction Com- 
pany, during 1921. 

Toledo's part in the recent World 
"War, is still sufficiently vivid, to need 
no comment here. 

During this period, in 1918, this bank 
observed its Fiftieth Anniversary. 



The Toledo Savings 
Bank & Trust Co. 

Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 




A Short History of Toledo 



To Those Who Will 
Make The Future 
History of Toledo 



TO the coming generation, the boys and girls, the young 
men and women, this final page is especially addressed. 

The preceding pages have traced the history of Toledo 
up to the present day. What her history will be from now 
on, depends largely upon you. Will you be able to take the 
place of some of the men mentioned in these pages, who did 
big things for Toledo, in a civic or commercial way? 

Among the qualities possessed by these men, they had 
one in common, Thrift — the ability to Save, and then Wisely 
Invest their savings. It was this quality that made it pos- 
sible for them to accumulate enough to be able to do things 
for the benefit of the entire city. It was this same quality 
that made possible the pioneer businesses of the city, to which 
we have made reference in these pages. 

How much Toledo advances in all directions, in the years 
ahead, depends largely upon whether you can be Thrifty 
enough to make even bigger things possible. A savings ac- 
count is the beginning. 



The Toledo Savings Bank 
and Trust Company 



Corner Summit and Jefferson 
Established 1868 



Compiled by Maurice Elgutter 



UBRARV OF CONGRESS 



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4 750 751 3 




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